Martin Gilbert: Churchill's biographer joins Western Ontario U.

An internationally recognized historian and authority on Jewish history starts a five year term this fall as an adjunct research professor in the History Department at the University of Western Ontario.

Sir Martin Gilbert is a leading authority on Jewish history and the official biographer of Winston Churchill. He previously lived in London, England.

"It's very exciting," says Gilbert. "I've been coming to London on and off for a number of years. I like the atmosphere very much indeed.

"Its going to be a wonderful opportunity to have contact with students. I taught students at Oxford from 1960 to 1970 and since then I've almost been a hermit. I'm emerging from the ivory tower."

Ben Forster, chair of Western's History Department, praised Gilbert saying, "We're absolutely delighted to have Sir Martin Gilbert, one of the leading historians of the 20th century affiliated with our department. It's going to be terrific to have him deliver a variety of talks on the subjects that he knows exceedingly well and for which he's highly respected - Sir Winston Churchill, the Second World War, the Holocaust and the world of the Jewish peoples in the twentieth century. I know he's going to be a significant figure here at Western."